alternating chains!

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly **** man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers

gary wrote:
Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly **** man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers



The main thing is to change the chain before is lengthens appreciably
and then the rest of the drive train will last through many chains.
Much cheaper that way than trying to extract the maximum life out of a
chain. Alternating is useful in that you can have one chain cleaning
while t'other's in use.

Tony

Hi

I had the same thoughts as you, and did this for a couple of years but still
found i was replacing the whole lot, just after a little longer.

The previous answer is right, have a look at the sheldon browne website. A
12" section of your chain can stretch 1/8" and then it will be wearing you
sprockets.

I have just started using this method and have just changed my chain (1/8"
stretch) after 1800 road miles on my hybrid and the new one runs great.

The important thing is to keep the chain as clean as possible, i have a
chain cleaner which is good, an old toothbrush works but is messy.

later

Gary

"Tony Raven" wrote in message
...
gary wrote:
Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when
the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly **** man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all
run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers



The main thing is to change the chain before is lengthens appreciably and
then the rest of the drive train will last through many chains. Much
cheaper that way than trying to extract the maximum life out of a chain.
Alternating is useful in that you can have one chain cleaning while
t'other's in use.

Tony

Thanks Tony
Wondering how long it takes for a chain to lengthen, what do you reckon is
the best frequency between alternating! Could i use 3-4 chains alternating,
maybe the more i use, the less likely they will bed in!
Cheers
Tony Raven wrote in message
...
gary wrote:
Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when
the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole
lot!
costly **** man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all
run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers



The main thing is to change the chain before is lengthens appreciably
and then the rest of the drive train will last through many chains.
Much cheaper that way than trying to extract the maximum life out of a
chain. Alternating is useful in that you can have one chain cleaning
while t'other's in use.

Tony

gary wrote:

Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that when the
chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but the whole lot!
costly **** man!
Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge! & how often do you all run
each chains between alternating!
Cheers

use three chains, and clean them all at once. Hang them from a nail and
start with the shortest. Replacing depends on the usage, with a muddy
MTB intervals are ofcourse much shorter than with a sunny weatherbike.

most recumbents have the three chains already fitted simultaneously
--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

gary wrote:
Thanks Tony
Wondering how long it takes for a chain to lengthen, what do you reckon is
the best frequency between alternating! Could i use 3-4 chains alternating,
maybe the more i use, the less likely they will bed in!
Cheers

Depends on too many factors to give an answer. Chain type,width,
quality, riding conditions etc etc I've seen an MTB chain finished
after a couple of hundred miles and road chains going on for 5 or 10k.
Oil bath chains on old shopping bikes go on forever. The only way is to
measure regularly as part of general maintenance until you get the feel
for your chain and usage.

Using more chains doesn't help. Its the wearing of the pins in the
bushes that lengthens the chain which is related to the total miles, how
much grit is inside the chain (a big problem if you pour lubricant on a
dirty chain) the hardness of the parts, the width of the chain etc etc

Tony

Tony Raven wrote:

gary wrote:
Thanks Tony
Wondering how long it takes for a chain to lengthen, what do you reckon is
the best frequency between alternating! Could i use 3-4 chains alternating,
maybe the more i use, the less likely they will bed in!
Cheers

Depends on too many factors to give an answer. Chain type,width,
quality, riding conditions etc etc I've seen an MTB chain finished
after a couple of hundred miles and road chains going on for 5 or 10k.
Oil bath chains on old shopping bikes go on forever. The only way is to
measure regularly as part of general maintenance until you get the feel
for your chain and usage.

Using more chains doesn't help.

it does, as sprockets wear faster when the chain is worn. With multiple
chains it takes longer for the chains to reach the point where wear
accelerates. From that point on you can continue as you still have three
chains which will work with your worn cassette. The obvious drawback is
that you now can't use a different wheel with a unworn cassette

--
---
Marten Gerritsen

INFOapestaartjeM-GINEERINGpuntNL
www.m-gineering.nl

gary wrote:
Hi
I used to fit a chain, rear cassette, & chain rings & find out that
when the chain wears out, i have to replace not just the chain, but
the whole lot! costly **** man!

Was that on a mountain bike? You don't /usually/ have to replace the
chainrings when the chain & cassette wears out.

Is it just me that does this, but by running a couple of chains,
alternating them, extends the wear from the gearing !
Does anyone else do this, is it common knowledge!

It is one fairly common method, sometimes several chains are "rotated".
But it can only possibly save money if you go on using all the chains
until they and the cassette are completely shagged out (otherwise it's no
different from using one chain at a time). It is possible to spend less
of chains and cassettes in total like that, depending on what model chains
& cassettes you use. BUT this method is not kind to your chainrings--they
will eventually wear out and they can be expensive to replace. That may
take a long time, though, depending on size of chainrings and other
factors.

& how often do you
all run each chains between alternating!

Doesn't matter, except it's a good idea anyway to clean the chain
regularly, so you might as well rotate as soon as the current chain
becomes unacceptably dirty.

Or: forget the practice altogether and just use one chain at a time until
what is supposed to be 12 inches has elongated to 12 1/16" then get a new
chain.

See http://www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html

~PB

I wrote:
Doesn't matter, except it's a good idea anyway to clean the chain
regularly..........

Actually, it would matter after a certain while. It's all rather
complicated! Lets's just say: "frequently".

~PB

ps. Three (maybe four) chains is more likely to be the optimum number of
chains to rotate rather than two, if you do want to give it a go.

I don't, personally, as my chainrings and some of my sprockets are pricey
enough, and my chains cheap enough, for the one-chain-at-a-time method to
be best... I think!

~PB